Keel Bone Fractures in Laying Hens

Keel bone fractures affect a majority of laying hens in commercial systems, causing chronic pain that represents one of the most significant but underappreciated welfare problems in agriculture.

Key Facts

Keel bone fractures affect 50-80% of hens in non-cage systems and 50-85% in colony cage systems
Fractures occur primarily from collisions with perches, housing equipment, or falls from height
Hens with keel bone fractures show behavioral changes including reduced perch use and altered feeding posture indicating pain
Slower-growing heritage breeds show lower fracture rates than commercial laying breeds
Perch design, distance to perch landing, and housing complexity all significantly affect fracture rates

Welfare Considerations

Keel bone fractures represent a massive hidden welfare problem that affects the majority of the 1.4 billion laying hens globally in commercial production. The fractures cause chronic pain for the remaining months of the laying year and beyond. Consumer choices for higher welfare eggs such as free-range or organic have not consistently reduced fracture rates - the problem exists across production systems. The welfare improvement requires breed selection for structural integrity, perch design modifications, and housing changes that reduce collision risk.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for mandatory keel bone fracture monitoring and reporting by egg producers
Advocate for breed selection away from high-fracture-risk commercial hybrids
Choose eggs from producers that monitor and publish keel bone fracture rates
Support research into perch design modifications that reduce fracture incidence
Reduce egg consumption or substitute plant-based alternatives to reduce demand from systems with high fracture rates